My Lover's Keeper

Naruto didn't know what exactly they were getting ready for. He once again was handed a formal suit.

Orochimaru had walked in on him in the bathroom. The teen had just put on the white shirt, it was unbuttoned still. He smirked and walked closely to Naruto. His hand freely touched the teen's soft skin.

He leaned in kissing him and only stopped when he felt a bump on the boy's chest. He pulled away looking at Naruto who winced. "That hurts, dattebayo?" He held the adult's hand to stop him from poking his implanted port.

"What is it?"

"An implanted port. For IV's and meds.." the blond buttoned his shirt himself.

"Why do you need it? Are you sick? Is it serious?" Orochimaru didn't need to hear answers, the boy's silence was foretelling. "What is it?"

"They think it's a rare genetic illness. They don't know how to help."

So when Naruto asked if he knew he wouldn't live long, perhaps this was why. Perhaps this was why Naruto was kinder than others and more caring.
But Orochimaru looked at Naruto and only saw him inexplicably being taken away from him just like Mitsuki was stolen from him.

He hugged the blond who took a second to reciprocate his feelings.

Naruto was once again handed the fox mask which he wore before they went downstairs. The rest of the teens were not masked and they did not wear clothes like he had. They were barely dressed as if this was to please the guests.

The ballroom was prepped for what Naruto could only assume was an auction as Orochimaru handed him their own number.

But Naruto only realized they were bidding on people later that night. The auction ranged from selling people to organs, to stolen artifacts to selling sex acts from certain persons.

Naruto was disinterested and only sat there because he had no other option.
"State your name, boy" the auctioneer chuckled as the voice wasn't audible "Louder, boy"

"Uchiha Sasuke, seventeen" the teen had been a resident of another rich person. He was thankful he had cancer. They couldn't give him drugs or do anything that would somehow lead to his death.

The light was in his eyes blinding him from seeing the crowd.

But Naruto's heart ached seeing him on that stage. He was in one of those revealing outfits, that only barely covered his genitals. Sasuke's body had a lot of scars from his past surgeries. His body was far from perfect.

He felt humiliated.

"We will start at 10k" the auctioneer started. Easily the cheapest item on the list that night. He chuckled thinking 10k was too much for damaged dying goods but he kept his thoughts to himself.

There was a market for everything, even sick dying teens.

Naruto had been at many normal auctions before, he never liked them in his life but now it was his life's mission to outbid for Sasuke.

He gently rested his hand on his cheek acting bored. But ever so subtly he would raise his finger. The ringman would then inform the auctioneer they have a higher bidder.

It started at 10k but then soon, it rose to over ten million and the bids eased until they stopped at 12 million. There was one woman who had wanted to play doctor with Sasuke's life but she couldn't bid any longer.

"Let's give it up to the man in the fox mask, our highest bidder tonight" the auctioneer started the round of applause.

Naruto got out of his seat next to Orochimaru. He removed his tux jacket and climbed the stairs up to the stage to put the jacket on Sasuke.
"Don't worry, I'm getting you out of here. Dattebayo?"

"Na-.."

"Not a word, Sasuke. We're in the snake's den... I'll get you out safe and sound. I promise" he helped him out of the stage and left the ballroom with him.

Orochimaru remained composed in front of others. But he was angry that Naruto had done something of the sort. Twelve million was not a small amount of money either.

He got himself up as none of the items on the list interested him the least bit.

When he got out of the ballroom, he found his harem mumbling.
"Where did he go?"

"To the lodging, my lord" Youhei knew from the adult's angry look, that Naruto was as good as dead.

Naruto locked the door behind them.
"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine considering the circumstances. No....no I wasn't harmed" Sasuke reassured him. He had never been so happy to see this idiot.

"Naruto! Open this goddamn door this instant!"

"Go to the bathroom, lock yourself in. I'll call you when it's safe to come out" Naruto handed him his own clothes and lead him to the bathroom. "It'll be alright."

The banging on the door got louder and Naruto rushed to open it.
He was smacked down the moment he saw those harsh yellow eyes.

The ringing in his ear intensified. He couldn't hear anything but that. He looked at Orochimaru who yelled at him. But he could make out the words 'do you love him?' and then his hearing came back "why did you bid twelve million?! Who do you think will pay it?"

"I'll pay it" he glared at Orochimaru and the man hit him again for giving him that harsh look.

"Not even if you sold yourself for your whole life would you be able to get that amount of money. I won't allow him to live if you care that much about him." He punched him over and over, until Naruto's face was bloodied.

Then he moved to go to the raven. Except Naruto held to the man's ankle with the little strength he had left.
"Uchiha Sasuke is my classmate. He has cancer...I'll pay if it means he returns home safe. I have the money...just please...don't prove me wrong" a few tears escaped his eyes "I trust you"

Orochimaru saw the hand let go of him. The blond's once perfect handsome face was hard to look at. Yashamaru was angry so he resolved to breaking whatever was in front of him until he calmed down.

He opened the door and gave orders to the guards who took the unconscious blond then he went to the bathroom and knocked.
"Come out now while I'm still patient"

Sasuke had heard the death threat, so of course he was not ecstatic about opening said door. But he heard the banging and he caved in.

He saw death straight in the eyes then promptly lost consciousness due to the stress.

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Naruto winced in pain. His whole face throbbed in pain. Kabuto had stitched the cut along his cheek and had taken care of the rest of the bruises on the teen's face too.

He was alone in the master bedroom. It was morning and he could see the soft snowfall from the window. The mansion was quiet.
Naruto looked out the window seeing the bedroom had a view of Mitsuki's grave marker.

The blond went to a drawer and took a couple incense sticks.
He got out of the room, seeing the guards who did not stop him. Naruto took Orochimaru's coat from the hanger and went outside. 

For some reason, visiting Mitsuki's grave was the first thing on his mind, as most of last night was a haze. He did not even remember why he and Orochimaru fought.

He lighted the incense and paid his respects. He could so gently smell the burnt incense filling the surrounding area as he closed his eyes.

He heard footsteps come to a halt beside him. Then he felt a presence by his side. It wasn't enough to stop him.
"Your friend is being looked after by Kabuto. I'll arrange for him to be sent home as soon as you make the payment,"

"My friend?" Naruto opened his eyes and looked at him confused. "What friend?"

"The one-...what do you remember of yesterday?" Orochimaru's eyes softened. Did he really hit him that hard?

"Nothing much after dinner. I know you were angry at me...I don't remember why" Naruto got up and bowed to the grave. "I hope you don't mind me visiting Mitsuki."

"Not at all" the man stood up too. "I got angry because you bought someone for twelve million dollars. An Uchiha Sasuke you claimed was your friend," he studied his reaction.

If Naruto could make the payment, then he must have been rich. Orochimaru didn't know much about his favourite Harem.

"Is that what happened?" Naruto tried to recollect, indifferent by the revelation. "Makes sense" he mumbled as he only remembered saying something about paying. "I need to make a phone call to get you your money,"

Orochimaru would have denied it, except even he didn't have twelve million sitting on a shelf. So he escorted the blond to the only room in the mansion where a landline phone was specifically made to be untraceable.

Naruto dialled the third number that he knew by heart.
"Fukuoka Raiku speaking."

"Raiku-san, it's me"

"Naruto-sama" her eyes widen. She knew he was missing, thought to be kidnapped for a ransom when the police found out he was rich beyond measure. It was kept on the low, neither the police nor Naruto's family wanted his disappearance to be public. "Where are you?"

"That's not why I called. Raiku-san, I need you to get twelve million from the fund." He eyed the paper that was passed to him "make a transfer to the following bank account. I needn't stress that the police mustn't be involved" he went on to recite the numbers for her.

"Hai, Naruto-sama. Will you be released after the payment is made?" She asked but heard only the sound of the call dropping.

Orochimaru had hung up himself not wanting the phone call to last more than necessary.
The payment was done almost instantaneously. The man held his smartphone after receiving the confirmation of transaction.

Just who was he?

Uzumaki didn't really ring a bell with him. Was he the son of some rich family?

"Raiku is fast" Naruto stood up. "I need to see Sasuke"
The blond was taken to a guestroom where the raven laid on the bed. He appeared to be asleep.
Orochimaru was right behind his blond keeping an eye on him.
Sasuke had moved away when he felt the bed shift. His hands were shackled and his eyes blindfolded. "It's me"

"Naruto" his own voice almost betrayed him.

"It's okay. You're going home, dattebayo?"

"You're coming too right?" He asked reaching in the general direction of his classmate's voice.

"I'm afraid I'm too in love with Orion's belt to leave. I'm home here and I like it. But it's not the place for you. Itachi-san must be worried." Naruto was handed a pill and a glass of water to give to Sasuke. Everything was too blurry. The blond's right eye was too swollen to even open and his left eye was scarred, "Here" he placed it in the raven's palm "drink this, when you wake up...you'll be home. Trust me" Naruto gave him the cup of water next and it didn't take long for it to kick in.

Orochimaru had allowed his servants to take the unconscious teen to the car.
He saw the blond sit in the same position.
"I'll take him home, you have my word"
But his comforting words did not make the blond move from place.

The tears that escaped those blue orbs left a red trace down his cheeks.

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Orochimaru had personally taken the raven back to Konoha. Whereas Naruto was still in the mansion.

"He favors you" Youhei spoke for the first time that day "I have never seen him do so much for anyone. I've been here for almost eight years and I had never seen him give someone their freedom"

"He didn't give it. I bought it" Naruto clarified. He paid for it by being physically assaulted too. But he hoped this would be the beginning of the end of his stay. Hopefully, Sasuke will deliver his message.

Naruto went out to the grave like he always does. He was the only one of the kids who could get out of that mansion or roam it relatively free.

Kabuto had found the teen in front of the grave. He stayed in the distance the way he would if Orochimaru was there.

If Naruto wasn't by Mitsuki, he'd usually be in the library.
"Time for your meds" the doctor informed coldly.

"Haaai" he stood up and bowed to the grave following the sinister doctor.

Kabuto hated Naruto to the bones. He despised him because he brought a side of his sadistic master that he had never seen before.

He wished he could do something to get rid of him but if anything happens to the blond, Orochimaru made sure his threat was clear.
He cleaned up the teens cuts.

The person in front of him was rich, richer than Orochimaru himself but he didn't behave like a spoiled person. He didn't even have a phone. He was mysterious. When he looked up Uzumaki Naruto nothing special came out.

His file stated he was an orphan adopted by two homosexuals. There was nothing else regarding his riches.
"What do you think of Orochimaru-sama?" He asked.

"Ha...I've never seen a more broken soul"

"Huh" Kabuto chuckled "him? Broken? I'll entertain you...you intend to what? Fix him?"

"You're no different either, dattebayo? Everything you do now is revenge for what was done to you in the past." Naruto buttoned his shirt and went back to the harem lodging.

Kabuto huffed at those words. Revenge what? He didn't want to admit that he had issues that ran deep. He denied them so surely they didn't exist and whatever vague comment Naruto made was nothing but the blond being an idiot.

Naruto counted the time until Orochimaru's return. He'd been gone for four days so far. If it took that long to get to Konoha then Naruto was certain that this estate was in a different country, judging by the snow and the stars...he was North of Konoha. And the country North of Konoha was none other than Otogakure.

"Hey, blondie...breakfast is ready" Youhei informed. He had never seen Naruto eat with them.

"It's okay, you go on ahead. I'll eat later" he small smiled bringing himself up and going to Kabuto's office.

He laid on the medical bed as he received the now routine IV's. He found himself drifting to sleep with his brother in mind. He'd been away from home for almost three weeks now. Was Kurama still alive or even awake? How were his Kaasan and Tousan dealing with the situation? Iruka must be worried sick and Kakashi must be pretending to be emotionally stable.

Kabuto smirked as he heard that name again. That was his way to get rid of Naruto. If his master believed the blond has a lover; he will kill them both.

He took him back to the lodging.
"Come get me if he gets any worse,"

"Hai" the dark haired teen sat by Naruto's side. He heard the blond moaning that stranger's name.

Youhei wasn't at all comfortable with having to deal with this. Kabuto was not to be trusted, it wasn't far off that the doctor would just pinpoint Naruto's death on him.

But the doctor did come regularly to check on him. He seemed to be just as scared as Youhei of something happening to the teen Orochimaru loved so much.

When Naruto opened his eyes; the first name he called was of course his brother's.
"He's not here. You're going to get him killed. If he hears you call on your boyfriend, he'll get angry"

Naruto couldn't really wrap his head around the situation. He rolled on his side facing Youhei. "What did you say?" He asked when he was fully awake.

"That Kurama guy you've been calling in your sleep will be in trouble if Orochimaru hears you. He likes you a lot and you go moaning some other-..."

"Kurama is my big brother" Naruto said understanding what was implied. "He's always taken care of me whenever I was under the weather. I'm sorry for troubling you, Youhei-kun" Naruto closed his eyes. "Do you have any siblings?"

"No...I was an only child."

"Do you miss your family?"

"Sometimes." He sighed "even if they sold me. You're from Konoha right?"

"Yeah..."

"Well sadly, Otogakure is nothing like Konoha. It's pretty much a lawless land. Corrupt government has just made everyone drown in taxes and in desperation, my parents sold me. I don't know if they are still alive or not. Most of us are from Otogakure, except for you and Tomoyo. So what about you? Word around the mansion is that you're some multimillionare's son"

Naruto chuckled as rumours followed him even there. "My biological parents died when I was around three years old. I remember some things about them. Then Kurama and I were in a foster home for a while before we ran away. He and I lived on the street for almost three years before Iruka-san adopted us. All of this isn't exactly new to me." He didn't explain nor further say how rich he was.

"But....you were a virgin right? Orochi-..."

"I am" a small blush appeared on his face. "But I have seen things, my brother did things to protect me. Ya know?"

"He hasn't slept with you yet?" Youhei wondered in disbelief. Everyone he had ever met were pretty much fucked on the first few days if not the first night. "But he always asks for you."

The question itself tensed Naruto. Sure they haven't 'slept' together, it didn't mean Orochimaru didn't conduct himself in an unacceptable manner.

"We just sit and talk, play Shogi, watch the stars...that's pretty much it" the blond lied not wanting to admit to the things he had to do.

"How do you do it? How did you tame him?"

"I didn't tame him, dattebayo? I just care" his look softened.

"About him? You care about him of all people?" He asked again slightly agitated "the man's a monster"

"Youhei-..."

"I don't know if you are naive or just playing one-..…"

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." Naruto saw the confused teen. "You don't fight violence with violence. It will create more violence and more hatred." He sat up. "Bring the Shogi board"
Youhei didn't know why he was bringing it but he did. He watched as Naruto organized the pieces on the board.
"Problems are like a game of Shogi"

"Don't you mean life?"

"No because that would mean life is boring" Naruto stated the obvious. "Anyways, every dilemma in life requires thinking. If a person comes at you with a knife you don't lunge straight at them. You weigh in the situation, your best attacking angle, your defense. You think of what your attacker could possibly do and plan ahead. your goal is to protect the king which in that situation is yourself."

"Who is the king in this situation?" Youhei looked at the board.

"That is subjective. Everyone's king is different. But, here....the game is to put an end to it once and for all. If I use strength and violence, it would lead to creating other Orochimaru's. But with patience we can get around to the bottom of this. You see the kings from my perspective are not Orochimaru and me. To be honest, I think he and I are playing different games."

Youhei looked at the blond who played with him. If he understood what Naruto implied, then it meant that the teens, himself included are the king Naruto wishes to protect furthering it to other potential victims.

The dark haired teen had played Shogi countless times to pass time. He was pretty good at it. Even against their own captor; he sometimes won. But their game lasted two hours straight and he lost.
"When you're out of here what do you intend to do?"

"I don't know." The oldest of the two replied. In his years of being there, he had never given it a thought.

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Naruto wasn't awake much after that. His fever had gotten much worse and Kabuto didn't know what to do as the meds were barely keeping it in check.

Youhei would help him to the garden and stay away from the marker as the blond would drag himself the rest of the way there.

That specific morning, Naruto was barely even sitting up on his own.
"You gotta stay in bed" Youhei tried to force him to lay down. "You're in no state"

"I gotta see him. Just for five minutes" he mumbled, willing himself out of bed. He staggered in his steps so Youhei wrapped an arm around him for support.

'So the grave downstairs belonged to a male.'

Youhei couldn't let go of Naruto as the moment he did that, the blond starts falling. For the first time ever, he took Naruto right to the headstone and helped him on his knees.

The abducted teen saw the picture of Orochimaru smiling but he didn't see who was next to him as the sunray was reflected by the glass of the frame.
"I'll...I'll just wait for you over there." Youhei informed and walked away.

The first thing Orochimaru had done once he arrived was go see his blond. But he didn't find him with the rest. "Where is Naruto?"

"In the garden with Youhei-kun, Orochimaru-sama, Tadaima" one of the teens answered and they all bowed welcoming him.

But the man didn't care much not even returning the greeting as he left to the garden. He was evidently angry that Naruto took someone else there, but he found Youhei standing in the distance. He stood straight once he noticed his master was back.
"Tadaima, Orochimaru-sama"

"You know you're not allowed here" he grabbed Youhei's arm roughly.

"Naruto-kun hasn't been feeling well. I just escort him" he spoke in a hurry and saw Naruto come out leaning in on the small wall around the bed of roses.

"Youhei" Naruto called weakly as he wobbled for a second. He looked towards Youhei but saw two silhouettes, one was nearing him before his legs betrayed him.

He only registered Orochimaru's presence when he felt the man's arms holding him. Looking in those yellowish eyes that worriedly stared at him.

"Yasha-san?....Tadaima" he let go immediately not able to remain conscious.